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SmartFab addresses a key challenge facing the European solar industry: New solar cell factories must be planned more quickly, ramped up more reliably, and operated more efficiently. This requires digital tools that allow companies to test production processes under realistic conditions before expensive facilities are built or retrofitted.<\/p>\n
The collaborative project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), therefore aims to develop a virtual, AI-supported factory for solar cell production. By combining digital twins, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), hybrid tracking concepts, and modern simulation methods, the project aims to create a digital production environment in which manufacturing processes can be planned, analyzed, and optimized under realistic conditions\u2014even before a physical factory is built. This shortens development cycles, reduces risks, and supports the establishment of competitive solar cell manufacturing facilities in Europe.<\/p>\n
During the kick-off meeting, the work packages were coordinated, the next joint milestones were discussed, and collaboration among all project participants was organized. \u201cIn the first year of the project, we will, among other things, lay the groundwork for the virtual factory. This includes the factory and automation concept, the digital architecture, and the first building blocks of the digital twin. Close coordination among all partners is crucial for this,\u201d says Thomas Dreyer, Head of R&D at Kontron AIS.<\/p>\n
Global photovoltaic value creation is currently heavily influenced by non-European supply chains. At the same time, European companies lack real-world test environments to trial new manufacturing concepts under conditions similar to those in an industrial setting. SmartFab is designed to close this gap. The virtual factory is intended to digitally model and interconnect machines, processes, and products. This allows new cell technologies, production layouts, and process parameters to be simulated and evaluated without the need to set up a physical production line.<\/p>\n
Unlike previous approaches, SmartFab does not focus solely on individual aspects of production but integrates factory planning, digital twins, AI-based analyses, wafer tracking, and production control into a unified approach. This allows new cell technologies and production concepts to be validated more quickly and transferred to industrial manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Kontron AIS is responsible for key tasks in the project at the interface between production and the virtual factory. These include MES integration, machine connectivity, hybrid wafer tracking, data management, and reporting and analysis functions. In this way, we create a seamless connection between real-world manufacturing and the digital twin. The data collected then forms the basis for intelligent analyses, process optimizations, and future AI-supported applications within the virtual factory.<\/p>\n
SmartFab is much more than just a new simulation environment. The project aims to build expertise in the planning and operation of modern solar cell factories in Europe, accelerate the adoption of new production technologies in industrial applications, and sustainably strengthen the competitiveness of European manufacturers.<\/p>\n
The research project will run until the end of May 2029 and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).<\/p>\n
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